192 Correspondence.


mixed, perhaps there have been two red-heads and three black-heads. We

have many times caught the adults of the two varieties, together with their

brood, and in most cases the 3'oung were of both kinds."



A SAVAGE PHEASANT.

Sir, — I have lately introduced amongst my Cranes a handsome

Swinhoe x Silver cock Pheasant. He is quite tame and has been accus-

tomed to run loose in a garden. A few days ago this bird suddenly rushed at

my Crowned Crane and after chasing him up and down the garden managed

to get his spur into the Crane's hind toe and nearly severed it off. It bled

very freely so I caught up the Crane and bathed and bandaged the foot.

Which bandage I \\\?iy say he never attempted to peck off but walked about

quietly in it for three days when the wound having healed he pulled it off

— and the toe is well — but the nail has come off. Since, the Pheasant has

tried to attack two male Demoiselle Cranes, but they are so quick, they got

out of his way. Afterwards, he tried to get at my Flamingo which

fortunately was standing in deep water. The Pheasant flew on to some

rocks in the pond and I quite expected to see him swimming in the water.

At last I got him into a run, where I shall keep him shut up, until I have

advice as to whether I shall have his spurs cut off, or partly off, as it seems

a pity to keep him confined in a run when he might have so much liberty.

I should be glad to know if it would hurt or injure the bird and in what

way the spurs should be taken off. My Silver hen Pheasants are accustomed

to run loose from early morning till the}' walk into their runs of their own

accord, to roost at night. Through the summer months they live almost

• entirety upon acorns which they pick up from under four large oak trees.

They are in perfect condition and walked about in the deep snow of

January sometimes pecking it up and eating it as the Cranes did.


Octavia Gregory.



COLOUR-CHANGE IN FEATHERS.


Sir, — While I thoroughly approve of Mr. Beebe's suggestion as to

marking certain feathers, in certain specific cases, with ink, as a test of

colour-change; I do not consider that this is at all necessary in all cases.

!For instance, in the case of birds which assume strikingly dissimilar

plumages for the breeding-season, it is only necessary to examine specimens

which have died during the assumption of the breeding-plumage and have

thereby fixed the changing colours in their strange transition character in

order to convince the most sceptical.


A short time since I showed skins of Pyromelana franciscana and

■Cyanospiza cyanea to an ornithological friend ; both birds had died during

the assumption of their summer garb : in the Weaver the feathers of the

throat are partly fringed with golden yellow, a few at the sides are all

yellow, fringed with orange ; 011 the breast is one feather tipped with bright



